As expected, it looks like Manny Malhotra is the frontrunner to take over as head coach for the Vancouver Canucks.

On Monday’s edition of Donnie and Dhali – The Team, Sportsnet‘s Elliotte Friedman reported that the franchise is currently in negotiations with the Abbotsford bench boss to promote him to the NHL, saying:

Vancouver’s head coach position has been vacant since Adam Foote was dismissed early last week. Speaking to media after Foote’s departure, new general manager Ryan Johnson was not shy in showing his interest in Malhotra as Foote’s potential successor.

“It’s hard to be ignorant of an internal candidate that we obviously have,” Johnson said. “I’m not gonna deflect that. Manny has shown his ability to develop young players, to build a connection, and obviously win a championship with a very young group. So I won’t be ignorant to the fact that I am going to speak with him, sit down with him, and talk about the future.”

Malhotra has been expected to be next in line for the Canucks’ head coaching position for some time now. He was widely speculated to be a top candidate when the job last opened a year ago. The former Canuck first joined Vancouver’s coaching staff in a development position following his retirement a decade ago, later serving as the team’s assistant coach from 2017-2020. In 2024, Malhotra took over as head coach of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks. In his first season behind the bench, he led the franchise to its first Calder Cup.

Given his stellar resume and close connection to the team, he feels like a no-brainer pick for the position. If Malhotra is hired, he’ll be the 23rd head coach in franchise history, and fifth since 2021.